Nipple piercing tool



Aug. 7, 1962 IIIlIl/III M. D. STASIUK NIPPLE PIERCING TOOL Filed April12, 1961 III INVENTOR M/ TCHELLQSTA 5/ UK M WW ATTORNEY United StatesPatent Ofilice 3,947,959 Patented Aug. 7, 1952 3,647,956) NllPLl-EPEERCENG TUQL Mitchell D. Stasiult, 1649 hello Ava, Lakewood, @hio FiledApr. 12, 1961, Sen No. 1%,410 1 (Ilaim. (Cl. se -ass This inventionrelates to a tool for piercing or puncturing nursing bottle nipples toprovide openings or apertures of a proper size to allow a correct amountof liquid to be dispensed therethrough.

The size of the opening or openings in a nipple must vary depending uponthe strength or weakness of the infant by whom the nipple will be used.Conventional practice is to a needle over a flame and then puncture thenipple with the heated needle. However, this operation usually has to berepeated two or three times and it is diiiicult to produce openings inthe nipple in this manner which will be of a desired size to provide acorrect flow for the infant. I the openings are not sulficiently large,the puncturins operation has to be repeated to enlarge the openings. Ifthe openings are initially made too large, the nipple must be discarded.

It is a primary object of the present invention to provide a tool whichcan be utilized for simultaneously puncturing a desired number of holesin a nipple, and which holes will be of the same size and of a propersize to suit the requirements of the infant by whom the nipple is to beused.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafterbecome more fully apparent from the following description ofthe'drawing, illustrating a presently preferred embodiment thereof, andwherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of the tool;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged sectional view thereof taken substantially alongthe line 2-2 of FIGURE 1, and showing a fragment of a nipple, partly inelevation and partly in section, about to be pierced by the tool;

EZUURE 3 is an enlarged end elevational view looking toward the lowerend of the tool, as seen in FIGURE 1, and

FIGURE 4 is a top plan view of the nipple after formation of thedispensing openings therein.

Referring more specifically to the drawing, the nipple piercing tool inits entirety is designated generally 53 and includes a rigid thickwalled tubular member 6 having a bore 7 of uniform size extendingtherethrough. A spiral female thread 8 is cut into the wall of the bore'7 and extends from end-to-end thereof.

An elongated stem 9 of a length somewhat greater than that of thetubular member 6 is provided with a spiral male thread lb on an endportion 11 thereof. The stem 9 is of circular cross section like thebore 7 and is sized to be received in said bore and the male thread It)thereof engages the female thread '3.

The end portion 11 of the stem has a substantially flat end face 12 fromwhich projects one or more needles or tines 13. As shown, three equallyspaced needles or tines 13 are provided and which may be formed integralwith Y or suitably secured to the stem end 12 and which are preferablyspaced equal distances apart, as seen in FIG- URE 3. The needles l3terminate in sharp points 1.4 at their outer ends, and said needles areof the same length and taper uniformly from the stem end 12 to saidpoints 14.

The tubular member 6 has a flat end 15 from which the needles 13 projectand which is disposed crosswise of the axes of said needles. The otherend 16 of the stem 11 forms a handle which is normally disposed beyondthe opposite end 17 of the tubular member 6 and by means of which thestem can be turned in the tubular member for advancing the needles 1.3outwardly from the end 15 or for retracting the needles into the bore 7.

The needles 13 are preferably formed to a good grade of steel and thetubular member 6 and stem 9 are preferably formed of a material ormaterials which is fireproof and a good heat insulator. With the needlesexended as seen in FIGURES l and 2, the tool 5 can be held by the handle16 while the exposed ends of the needles 13 are held over a flame forsterilizing and heating the needles, after which the three needles maybe utilized simultaneously for puncturing the substantiallyhemispherical end 18 of a conventional nursing bottle nipple 19 to formthree holes Ztl therein of uniform size and of a correct size to permita proper flow through the nipple. After the needles 13 have been heatedover a flame, the tool 5 is displaced downwardly as seen in FEGURE 2, sothat the needles 13 will puncture and burn the holes 2b in the nippleportion 18. The tool is pressed downwardly until the end 1% comes torest against the nipple end 18 so that the holes 2% will be of adiameter corresponding to the diameters of the portions of the needles13 which are disposed coplanar with the surface 15.

When the tool 5 is not in use, the stem 9 can be rotated to retract theneedles 13 into the bore '7. By turning the stem 9 in the oppositedirection the needles 13 will again be extended from the end surface 15,and the distance between the needle points 14 and surface 15 can bemeasured to reset the tool 5 with the needles properly extended forpuncturing apertures of a proper size.

If desired, a cap or knob 21 can be frictionally mounted detachably onthe exposed handle portion 16, after the tool 5 has been adjusted foruse. The cap or knob 21 can be formed of a good heat insulating materialto insure that no heat can be transmitted to the fingers holding thetool while the needles are being heated.

Various modifications and changes are contemplated and may be resortedto, without departing from the function or scope of the invention ashereinafter defined by the appended claim.

I claim as my invention:

A nipple piercing tool consisting of an elongated stem having a forwardend, a plurality of steel needles fixed to said stem in equally spacedapart relation to one another and to the axis of the stem and projectinglongitudinally rom said forward end, a tubular member detachablysupported on the stem and in which the forward end of the stem isdisposed, said tubular member having'a forward end from which portionsof the needles project, said needles having pointed outer ends and beingtapered uniformly from the forward end of the stem to said pointed endsthereof, said tubular member being longer than the needles and shorterthan the stem and having a threaded bore of uniform diameter extendingfrom endto-end thereof, and said stem including a threaded forwardportion threadedly engaging in said bore for adjustably mounting thetubular member on the stem to vary the distance that the forward end ofthe tubular member is located beyond the forward end of the stem to varythe lengths and diameters of the portions of the needles which aredisposed beyond the forward end of the tubular member or for positioningthe needles in a sheathed position within the tubular member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS983,763 Potter et a1. Feb. 7, 1911 2,382,032 Stone et a1 Aug. 14, 19452,441,763 Hertz May 18, 1948 EOREIGN PATENTS 12,475 Great Britain June2, 1903

